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Volume 2 No. 4, August 1999
Pennsylvania
Gardener Selects
Robert Berghage and Jim Sellmer
The Pennsylvania Floral Industries Association The Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association The Penn State Horticulture Trial Gardens The Penn State Master Gardener Program Penn State Cooperative Extension Pennsylvania has a long history of leadership in the Green Industries. The first American company created solely to sell seeds, plants and other garden supplies was founded in Philadelphia in 1784. This company "David Landreth and Company" sold seed to George Washington and was probably the largest producer of American-grown seed by the mid 1800's. Many other large and small companies have inherited this legacy. Pennsylvania ranked 8th nationally in Green Industries grower cash receipts with $318,004,000 in 1996 according to the USDA/ERS. The Pennsylvania Nursery Landscaping report lists 5,595 growers and dealers in 1994 with 28,200 employees and total wholesale and retail receipts of $726,320,000. Several of the "Top 100" largest greenhouse producers in the U.S. either have facilities in Pennsylvania or are wholly cited within the state. Although the green industries are a large and vibrant segment of Pennsylvania agriculture, the industry in Pennsylvania has not kept pace with their peers in many other states. Pennsylvania's national share of greenhouse and nursery grower cash receipts has declined from 16 - 20% of the total, number 2 nationally in the early 1960's to about 4% and number 8 in the 1990's. Pennsylvania producers have a history of quality consciousness and innovation.
The All America Selections program was founded by Pennsylvania plant breeder
Ray Hastings in 1932. The AAS is a national plant selection and promotion
program that provides independent evaluation at more than 40 trial sites
across North America. The organization is now headquarted outside Chicago
but the incorporation papers can still be found in Harrisburg. The Penn
State Horticultural Trial Garden was one of the original founding gardens
and continues to participate in this program. Sidebar A Pennsylvania Agricultural
Product Promotion Matching Grant will be applied for by PFIA and PLNA
to help fund promotional activities including: The Pennsylvania Gardener Selects program promotes and serves the PFIA and PLNA membership in several ways. The statewide display and educational gardens expand the visibility and accessibility of superior ornamental horticultural crops to every corner of the state. Educational programs and public access to the gardens provides all interested consumers with the opportunity to see, evaluate, and learn about the variety and quality of annuals, herbaceous perennials, and in the future woody perennials available. These statewide evaluation and display gardens provide a unique venue for introducing new plants and cultivars to the market and the display gardens provide local garden centers, landscape contractors, nursery producers, and designers an opportunity to see first hand and evaluate products which they can add to their marketing mix. Finally, the display and evaluation gardens provide a stable location statewide for educating consumers on quality horticultural products. Table 1. Gardener Select Gardens
All the plants being evaluated in the Gardener Selects program for 1999 are outstanding cultivars. This years program includes annuals and perennials and a few edible ornamentals. In future years the program will include woody plants, vegetables, cut flowers, herbs and other plants of interest to gardeners in Pennsylvania. Argyranthemum Butterfly - A member of the Asteraceae, these daisy -like flowers (often called Chrysanthemums) prefer a well drained moderately fertile soil and full sun. These plants make excellent garden or container grown specimens reaching 18 inches tall with a 26 inch spread in the trials in 1998. The cultivar Butterfly has yellow flowers and blooms all summer. It is one of the best Argyranthemum cultivars available today. It is vegetatively propagated, and can be purchased at any local nursery or garden center carrying Proven Winners¹ cultivars. Begonia Dragon Wing- This begonia is an exciting and unique bedding plant. It is a vigorous, uniform angel-wing leaved begonia with large bright red flowers. It was an outstanding bedding variety in the trials in 1998 reaching 17 inches tall and spreading to 14 inches. It grew well in full sun but would probably perform well in partial shade too. This plant can be grown from seed or purchased plants. It would probably make an outstanding container or basket plant. Marigold Bonanza Bolero An All America Selections (AAS) Winner, this plant has an outstanding flower color pattern of orange-gold and red. Plants have a uniform compact and vigorous growth habit reaching 9 in tall and 16 inches wide in the trails in 1998. They did not require much deadheading and bloomed consistently throughout the summer. This plant can be grown from seed or purchased plants and should be grown in full sun in a moderately fertile soil. Petunia Purple, Pink, and Misty Lilac Wave - The "wave" petunias are some of the most outstanding new plants to be introduced in recent years. These petunia cultivars have a vigorous spreading habit making them superior ground covering bedding plants or hanging basket plants. They have excellent recovery from bad weather and do not really need to be deadheaded. These plants can be grown from seed or purchased plants. They are quite expensive but are well worth the price since you don¹t need many to make a real statement. Plant in full sun with 18" spacing. Surfinia Mini Brilliant Pink - This vigorous spreading type petunia is one of the best of a large number of newly introduced vegetatively propagated petunias. It is an excellent bedding or basket plant in full sun. As with many other very vigorous plants this cultivar requires relatively high fertility to maintain maximum growth, particularly if grown in a basket or other container. This cultivar is available from any garden center carrying "Proven Winner" cultivars. Kahuna Violet - This seed propagated petunia produces a tall mat of plants and purple flowers. It grew to be almost 3 feet tall in the trial garden in 1998, by far the biggest petunia in the garden. It would make and excellent foundation planting and was a favorite of the landscapers who saw it in the gardens. Like the other spreading type petunias, this cultivar did not require much deadheading. Prism Sunshine - This cultivar is an All America Selections winner. It has pale lemon yellow flowers on plants that are moderately vigorous and uniform. Although there are better petunias, there are no better yellow flowered petunias than this cultivar. It can be grown from seed or purchased plants. Fantasy Pink Morn - A member of the new class of petunias called the millifloras, this plant is the best of the cultivars currently available. It is a petite, uniform little plant with numerous small pink flowers. A great border plant, it prefers full sun and does not need deadheading. Portulaca Sundial Peach. This cultivar is an AAS winner for 1999 and an outstanding addition to a good series. It has large pink flowers on vigorous spreading stems. Like all portulaca this cultivar prefers full sun and a well drained soil. Salvia faranacea Signum - A nice blue salvia, it grew to 18 inches tall with a 17 inch spread in the garden in 1998. Signum¹ is one of the best cultivars of this popular garden plant. Grow in full sun and well drained soils. Reference - A blue flowered cultivar with white calyces, similar to Strata¹, but taller. Reference makes a very nice specimen plant in the garden. Snapdragon La Bella mixed colors - This intermediate height series was outstanding, blooming well from planting through August. The colors were bright and vibrant, Plants were exceptionally uniform and full reaching 12 inches in height with a 11 inch spread. It makes a great garden plant and is great for home cut flower use. Seed for the series is available in single colors or a mix. Zinnia Profusion Cherry, and Orange These cultivars are All America Selections Winners. They are very vigorous, full and uniform plants with outstanding floral display and resistance to Powdery Mildew. They prefer full sun and moderately fertile soil. These plants were some of the best in the garden last year. Planted in full sun these plants will flower for an extended period without deadheading. Swiss Chard Bright Lights - A very interesting edible ornamental, this plant is an All America Selections Winner. It produces large tropical looking leaves on thick multicolored (red, orange, yellow and green) petioles. The leaves, if left to grow will reach in excess of 3 feet tall. Use this plant as an accent in the garden or to provide a backdrop for ornamental bedding. Tai Basil Siam Queen - A very fragrant herb with attractive flowers and a compact very bushy growth habit. An excellent edible ornamental. Pepper Super Chili - A very attractive compact chili pepper with bright ornamental fruits. The fruit is quite hot. Fruit can be cut and used fresh or dried and used in floral work. This plant makes a nice accent plant in a bed of flowering bedding. Fernleaf Dill A very attractive edible ornamental, fernleaf dill makes a great accent for tall flowers or backdrop for shorter bedding. Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian Sage - A very vigorous, very hardy perennial with silver foliage and blue flowers. This plant can easily reach 4 feet tall with an equal spread. It was Perennial Plant of the Year in 1995. It will tolerate dry conditions and poor soils. It should be grown in full sun. Coreopsis Moonbeam - Perennial plant of the year in 1992, this hardy perennial produces large mounds of feathery foliage with light yellow flowers. This plant is an almost carefree perennial which flowers nearly all summer. A great choice for a sunny perennial garden. Astilbe Sprite - Sprite is a small compact, but very vigorous astilbe. It has dark green foliage and pink flowers, It is very winter hardy and can be grown in sun or shade. This cultivar was Perennial Plant of the Year in 1994. Echinacea purpurea Magnus - A vigorous hardy perennial this plant has both ornamental and medicinal value. This purple coneflower selection has improved flower color, size and orientation. It is an outstanding cultivar and was named Perennial Plant of the Year in 1998. Grow in full sun in well drained soils. The flowers make excellent cuts and can be dried if the ray florets are removed. Rudbeckia Goldsturm - Perennial Plant of the year for 1999, this outstanding winter hardy perennial produces numerous large golden yellow daisy-like flowers in the fall. It prefers full sun but can be grown in partial shade. This plant will tolerate heavy soils as long as they are well drained. Salvia May Night - An outstanding vigorous hardy perennial salvia with large bright indigo-blue flowers in May and June. This cultivar was Perennial Plant of the Year in 1997.
Information provided by Rob
Berghage and
Jim Sellmer Return To Ornamental Horticulture Newsletter Page
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